House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) made it clear on Monday that Democrats would not be inclined to accept vocal reassurances on extending expiring Obamacare tax credits in exchange for support on a short-term spending deal, as the time to prevent a government shutdown is running out.
During a press conference on Monday, just hours before a scheduled meeting at the White House, Jeffries said Democrats would not back a “partisan Republican spending bill” and scoffed at the idea that a verbal commitment on the Affordable Care Act subsidies would be enough to get his party on board.
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“Our position in the spending bill that has been introduced by House and Senate Democrats is a permanent extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Enough with the games that Republicans have been playing.”
“And no one can trust their word on healthcare. Are you kidding me? …We’re supposed to simply take their word that they’re willing to negotiate? The American people know that would be an unreasonable thing for us,” Jeffries added.
Democrats have insisted that Republicans offer concessions on healthcare after the “big, beautiful bill” signed into law in July is poised to cut coverage for millions of Americans on Medicaid due to reforms to the beneficiary program. Jeffries has previously stated that any agreement on healthcare “has to be ironclad and in legislation.”
But the GOP and President Donald Trump have shown little appetite for this request, arguing that the proposed seven-week continuing resolution, or CR, is “clean” and just punts the funding deadline to offer appropriators more time to work on the remaining appropriations bills for fiscal 2026. The House passed the bill on Sept. 19, with only one Democrat joining all but two Republicans in voting for the deal.
The House Democratic leader’s presser comes just a few hours before he and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are set to meet with Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) at the White House at 3 p.m. on Monday.
Trump previously canceled a meeting with Jeffries and Schumer last week, arguing that no meeting could “possibly be productive” due to the demands from the Democratic leaders.
Jeffries said he and Schumer are in “lockstep” and seek a “good faith negotiation” between themselves, Trump, and Republican leadership. But he echoed previous remarks that if the government shuts down, it will be on the GOP’s shoulders.
“If the government shuts down, it’s because Republicans want to shut the government down,” Jeffries said.
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The government shutdown deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, giving Senate lawmakers little time to make changes to the CR, if any, and send it back to the House for a vote. Johnson canceled House votes for this week, and as of Monday morning, GOP members are not expected to return to Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, most Democrats are expected to return to Washington for a caucus meeting at the Capitol at 6 p.m., where Jeffries will likely update his members on the meeting with Trump and a path forward for the spending deal.